This conference will focus on the causes and consequences of the rising longevity and improving health of the U.S. and world populations. Seven paper presenters, seven discussants, four commentators, and over one hundred participants from economics, demography, medicine, and epidemiology will discuss: 1) the effect of health on economic growth, 2) the importance of early life factors to healthy aging, 3) the impact on healthy aging of socioeconomic status at different stages of the life cycle, and 4) how to finance retirement for a growing elderly population. The resulting discussions will provide new empirical and theoretical insights on the determinants of healthy aging and will inform policy debates on social security and pension reform and on the effectiveness of investing in public health. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]